Automatic signal apparatus



' (No Model.) 2 sheets sh eet 1.

J. H. CROSBY.

I AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 355,639. Patented Jan. 4, 1887. r

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(No Model.) J. H. CROSBY.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No. 355,639. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

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PATENT @FFICE.

JAMES H. CROSBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,639, dated January4, 188 7.

Application filed September 7, 1885. Serial No. 176,371. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- 1

Be it known that I. JAMES H. CROSBY,.Of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Automatic SignalApparatus, of which the follow ing description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

My invention relates to that class of automatic signal apparatus whereinan audible signal, actuated by steam or air, is adapted to give asuccession of intermittent blasts, the durations of which areautomatically controlled by pins or projections on a disk or wheelrotated by a clock or similar motor co-operating with a code-cam, myinvention having for its object to producea simpler, more efficient, andcheaper signal apparatus than has been heretofore made.

My invention is especially designed and adapted to be used on boardships and along the sea-coast in times of fog; and it consists of acylinder containing a piston, the rod of which is-provided with a springplaced between the head of the cylinder and a collar secured on the saidrod, the said spring acting to restore the piston-rod to its normalposition after thesteam or other fluid or medium has ceased to beadmitted to the said cylinder, combined with an audible signal and aflexible connection between the said signal and the said pistonrod. Thecylinder referred to is provided with the ordinary induction andeduction ports, and with an additional port communicating with theinduction-pipe by a suitable pipe provided with a stop-cock,

fluid may be admitted'to the top of the eylinder above the piston toform a cushion for the same.

My invention also consists of a valve-stem combined with valves toco-operate with seats in communication with the induction-pipe ofextended through astuffing-box provided with a suitable packing, andbeing provided with a spring placed between the said stuffing-box and acollar on the said stem, the spring acting to maintain the valves of thevalvestem seated until unseated by a suitable motor, shown as a clockactuating adisk or wheel on the main shaft of a clock mechanism ortimeand their lengths corresponding to the number 1 of blasts and theduration of each blast which it is desired the audible signal shall givein a definite time, the depressions indicating intervals during whichthe audible signal is silent. Figure l is a front elevation of myimproved audible-signal apparatus, the same being secured to a bracketadapted to be affixed in any desired or usual place. Fig. 2 is a sectionof Fig. lfshowing the connection between the operating parts; Fig. 3, anenlarged sectional view of the operating-valves; and Fig. 4, amodifica'tionto be referred to.

. Referring to the drawings, a steam-cylind er, A, made of usualmaterial, is provided with ports a and a, the former communicating withthe induction-pipe E and the latter with the eductiou-pipe E", and alsowith apipe, F, connected at its lower or opposite end to theinduction-pipe E, the pipe F havingastop-cock, f, to open and close thesaid pipe to admit steam above the piston, thereby forming a a cushionfor the same.

The steamcylinder referred to has apiston, B, whose rod b (see Fig. 2)moves in a sleeve, 0, provided with suitable packing, and renderedair-tight by a nut, d, screwed to the said sleeve; and the said rod hasaspring, g, wound construction, the said rod being herein shown asconnected by a flexible connection, h, passing under pulleys p p, thevalve of the said audible signal or whistle being opened when thepiston-rod is moved up, orin the direction of the arrow,(see Fig. 2,) bysteam or other motor-such as air-which enters the cylinder A through theport a, the said whistle-valve remaining open and emitting a blast untilthe piston and its rod are returned to their normal positions by thespring 9.

I have provided the inductionpipe E with a fitting having fourscrew-threaded branches or arms, 1 2 3 at, the said fitting containing avalve-stem, provided, as herein shown, with three valves, 6 7, (see Fig.3,) the valves 5 and 6 controlling the admission of steam to thecylinder A, to actuate the piston and sound the audible signal orwhistle, the valve 7 serving as an exhaust.

The arm lis connected to theinduction-pipe E, the arm 2 to ancxhaust'pipe, E, communicating with the exhaust-pipe E the arm 3 to apipe, i, leading to the generator for steam or. holder for compressedair, while the arm 4 has secured to it a stnfling-box, a through whichthe valve-stem c" is extended, the said stem having on it aspring,g,oneend of which rests against the said stalling-box, while the other endrests against a collar, d secured on the said stem, the said springacting to seat the valves 5 and 6 after each blast.

The extended valve-stem c referred to, and as shown in Fig. 1, has alink, Z, forked at its upper end, as at a a, the said forks receiving arod, a that forms the center of motion or fulcrum for a code-cam, 9; butin Fig. at the said rod is shown as extended and secured to the bracket(1 to serve as arstay for the link 1, which is shown in Fig. 4 as astraight link.-

- The code-cam 9 is herein shown as a hub provided with wings, hereinshown as set at right angles to one another, and having elevations Ifand depressions b which are herein shown as acted upon by pins orprojections n on a disk or wheel, \V mounted on the main shaft of of aclock mechanism or time-train of ordiing from engagement with thecode-cam the pin following next in order will be brought into engagementwith said code-cam, the said pins depressing the link Z and valvestem cto open the valves 5 and 6 and admit steam into the steam-cylinder Athrough the ports 0 0 pipe E, and port a, to move the piston B up ward."

The elevations b and depressions If of the' wings onthe hub referred toare of such length and are so arranged with relation to each other thata series of long blasts of the signal may be alternated by a series ofshort intervals of sileuce as, for example, the elevations may produce ablast of ten seconds, while the depressions would permitof a silence ofonly five seconds. Each wing of the hub may have a different numberofelevations and depressions, thereby permitting the code of signals to bechanged when desired. r

The rod a as herein shown, is encircled by a spring, a one end of saidspring bearing against one arm of the forked lever Z, and the other endbearing against the end of the codecam 9, said spring serving'to steadythe said code-cam when the latter is acted upon by the pins n.

The piston B in its upward stroke opens the valve of the audible signalor whistle W, by actuating the lever T, which is connected to thepiston-rod b by the flexible connection h, as shown in Fig. 1.

Instead of the mechanism shown for unseating the valves 5 and 6, I mayattach a straight link, Z, to the valve-stem 0 the said link havingsecured to it a lever, L, as shown in Fig. 4, which lever is pivoted ina bracket, (P, and which supports the codecam 9 at its endremote fromits fulcrum. This latter arrangement affords a greater power forunseating the valve.

In the operation of my improved audible signal the number of blasts perminute or for any other definite or'standard time can be regulated byadjusting the code-cam, so that a wing having the requisite number ofelevations or depressions or teeth or cams shall be placed in positionto be engaged bythe pins on the disk or wheel rotated by the clockmechanism or time-train, thereby causing the desired number of blasts tobe given.

Any desired number of blasts can'be given in a definite required time byregulating the number of elevations of the ditferentwings, and theperiod of silence between each blast can be regulated by adjusting thedistances between the successive elevations.

I do not desire to limit myself to any particular form of clockmechanism or time-train, as any of the well-known forms of time-motorsmay be used equally well.

I claim 1. In a signal apparatus, a cylinder, apiston and piston-rodtherein, and an audible signal in connection with said cylinder andpistorrrod, and a valve-stem provided with a valve to control theadmission of steam or other fluid into the said cylinder, as described,to actuate the said piston, combined with a code cam, and means,substantially as described, to move the valve-stem through saidcode-cam,as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a signal apparatus, a cylinder, 9. piston therein, a valve-stemand valves thereon to regulate the admission of steam or air into saidcylinder to actuate the said piston, and an adjustable code-cam havingaseries of elevations and depressions to represent differentcode-signals, combined with means, substantially as described, to actupon the said codecam and actuate the said valve-stem, substau: tiallyas described.

3.- In an automatic signal apparatus, an audible signal, a cylinderprovided with' a piston and piston-rod connected to said audible signal,and means, substantially as described, to restore the piston to itsnormal position after each sounding of the audible signal, combined witha valve-stem having valves communicatingwith said cylinder, and withmeans, substantially as described, to seat and unseat the said valves,as and for the purpose set forth. 4. In an automatic signal apparatus,an audible signal, a cylinder, its piston and pi's-f to thisspecification in the presence of two 25 subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. CROSBY. Witnesses: 1 l

JAS; H. CHURCHILL, .G. W. GREGORY.

